Injured San Diego Police K-9 Recovers for the Holidays: 'It's a Nice Christmas Present'

Bowie’s close call happened Dec. 16 when officers received a report that a man — who had been accused of beating a woman over the head with a baseball bat — was holed up in his apartment on Second and West Island avenues.

It was a moment that Bowie and Johanson had trained for and already experienced, the officer said.

Bowie is the second dog Johanson has worked with during his 11-year career with the San Diego Police Department, he said. His previous dog, Bady, died of pneumonia in October 2023.

Despite the loss of Bady, a dog he had grown close with over the years, Johanson was assigned a new dog, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois bred in Europe, just a few weeks later.

Johanson said that from the jump, during their eight-week certification course, Bowie was special.

“He’s a very obedient, great dog, and strong, too,” Johanson said. “But he’s also tough, and he can put up a fight with anyone.”

Ultimately, the officer and Bowie were assigned to SWAT detail, a job generally reserved for the best handlers and canines. Dogs on this specialized assignment are required to adeptly respond under pressure to high-octane, complicated situations.

From keeping calm while flashbangs are exploding around them, to sifting through cacophonous gunfire to hear their handler’s commands, to navigating slick floors that even the most dexterous dogs would find themselves sliding across, SWAT dogs must be as useful a law enforcement tool as their human counterparts.

“We want dogs that are going to take the fight to someone,” Johanson said. “If someone’s going to take the fight to them, they can stick with it.”

For two years, Bowie has excelled in his role as a SWAT dog, Johanson said. And at the end of every shift, regardless of what the day entailed, the two head home together.

“He’s at home with me all the time, and then we’re together for more than 40 hours a week at work,” Johanson said. “I spend more time with him than anyone in my own family, really.”

The routine and tight bond the canine team has developed over the years is what made last week so visceral for Johanson and Bowie, the officer said.

The two responded to the scene like they would any other, Johanson driving his vehicle and Bowie in his pen in the back. Johanson unlocked the crate, Bowie hopped out, and the partners moved into position inside the building.

When the tear gas deployed into the apartment failed, police turned to the quick-moving, highly-effective Bowie, who would attempt to resolve the situation through less-lethal means, despite the chance that the suspect may be armed.

“If officers had to walk up there, it increases the likelihood that an officer-involved shooting was going to occur,” Johanson said, “so we sent Bowie in.”

Bowie did quick work locating the suspect in the apartment and was able to maintain a bite on his body, but Johanson quickly realized there was an issue. Officers who could see the suspect said he had allegedly fought with the dog, choking the air out of Bowie.

To save the dog’s life and arrest the man, SWAT moved in. Johanson found Bowie’s unconscious body lying on the floor of the apartment when he was finally cleared to enter.

“I saw him limp on the ground, and he wasn’t breathing,” Johanson said. “I grabbed him, picked him up and went out.”

Because of the tear gas, Johanson said he had to remove his own gas mask while running down a stairwell before he could begin performing CPR on his dog.

Meanwhile, a fellow canine officer realized what was happening and ran out in front of Johanson and quickly pulled his vehicle around so they could head straight for an emergency veterinary office, where they were met by a group of veterinary technicians waiting outside.

“I thought he was going to die in the car,” Johanson said.

They quickly got the dog onto an operating table, hooked him up to oxygen and began running a battery of tests.

“They did an ultrasound of his lungs, made sure they’re looking good, tested his breathing and made sure he was processing oxygen,” Johanson said.

The officer was told there was a risk of fluid in Bowie’s lungs, which could lead to pneumonia — a potentially fatal illness Johanson was all too familiar with from his last dog.

“We spend a lot of time with these dogs,” Johanson said. “I was thinking to myself that if it’s one of the worst-case scenarios, and he can’t go back into the field, but at least he lives, I’ll adopt him. He’ll be my pet at home.”

Officers stayed with Bowie through the night.

Only after being told his dog was in the clear did Johanson breathe a sigh of relief.

Bowie is one of two San Diego police dogs that have been injured this month in the line of duty. Goraz, another dog, was stabbed in the right leg during an assault in Ridgeview/Webster on Monday. Although suffering serious injuries, he is also expected to recover, officials said.

“What these dogs do is dangerous, and the reality is they step into situations that save officers’ lives every single day,” Johanson said. “Seeing what happened to Goraz is a reminder of the risks that come with this work, but it doesn’t change how I view it — it just reinforces how brave these canines really are.”

Johanson said Bowie has made nearly a full recovery in a week, and once cleared, he’s set to return to the field Thursday — two years to the day since they first began working together.

“It’s a gift knowing that he’ll be able to go back to work,” Johanson said, “knowing that he’s going to be OK and fine.”

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